Vehicle door latches typically have an inside latch lever and an inside lock lever that are operated by an inside door handle and an inside lock button that are located on the vehicle door a location that is remote from the door latch. The inside door handle and lock button are typically mechanically connected to the latch lever and the lock lever by operating rods. See for instance U.S. Pat. No. 5,535,553 granted to Brian H. Staser et al Jul. 16, 1996 for a superplug vehicle door module.
The operating rods may have a U-shaped end for mechanical connection as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 of the '553 patent.
Often the operating rod has a simple right angled or L-shaped end that is pivotally engaged in a hole in the end of the latch lever or the lock lever which it operates with the end being retained in the hole by some sort of retainer clip. In the past, different retainer clips have been used for different applications of the door latch depending on the direction of axial insertion of the rod end into the latch or lock lever hole. The requirement for different retainer clips results in a proliferation of parts and needless expense. The requirement for different retainer clips also creates the possibility of a vehicle door latch having the wrong retainer clip for a given application which can raise havoc on an assembly line.